ANIMALS AT TEXAS HOME BASE
If you come to Texas Home Base you will be greeted by some friendly and not-so-friendly animals. Our outside cat named Rosie may be the first that you see when you drive up. Rosie, we estimate, is around 11 years old. She came to us on her own 11 years ago. Rosie had one litter of kittens but they all died. She is now blind in one eye and is the most vulnerable one of all the animals. At the turn of each season we say, “Will she make it through this season? “ She continues to surprise us and lives another season. She will be missed if she can’t make another summer with us. As you can see from the picture she is very talented. You may catch her on the go cart or sitting on her bench watching the birds eat her food. Rosie is loved and laughed at by all of us at Texas Home Base.
If you get too close to the house when you arrive you will meet Shelia. She is the not-so-friendly pet here at Texas Home Base. Shelia is our watch dog and she takes her job very seriously. Shelia has a love-hate relationship with the Fed Ex man. When our Fed Ex delivery man comes Shelia comes running up to the gate and barks at him. She isn’t barking to scare him but to demand the treat that he has for her. She stares at him and he stares back. Finally the driver throws the treat to her. She just looks at him with an unthankful stare. As soon as the driver turns to walk away Shelia grabs the treat and runs. She will carry that treat around all day long looking for a place to put it. Finally she will eat it. It would be wise to never go through her gate. She truly is a good watch dog for us.
You might also see our most undemanding pet. Blackie is the dog that we never feed or water. He is faithful to stay right where we put him and never barks. Blackie is a black composite dog but you will think that he is real when you drive up. Don’t be afraid of Blackie. Be afraid of Shelia.
Chickens! Yes, Bobby has chickens and they are not only for laying fresh eggs. There are four of them and they call Bobby “Daddy”. They are his babies. Every morning when he goes out to work on his projects he lets the chickens out of their pen. If Bobby sits down the chickens sit down with him. If he is digging in the garden they are right there eating whatever they can find. They walk in front of him and fly up to see what he is carrying in his hands. These chickens are out in the yard all day with him. The worst thing about them is when they come down to the office. You might watch out where you walk if you are coming up to the door. Chickens have no manners! They are also good for laying fresh eggs. We usually gather three a day. It seems like one chicken gets a day off from laying every fourth day.
Julie has just added 13 chickens to the mix. They are teenagers right now. They should be laying eggs this summer. They will be laying colored eggs. She is expecting blue and green eggs from them. Her chickens are not free range like Bobby’s. They have a chicken run in their pen. We haven’t had them long enough to get to know their personalities. They are a good project for the family.
You are always welcome to come and see us here at Texas Home Base. Many of you “live” here so don’t be shy, come on by!